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I consider myself fortunate that I can garden year round. The only time I consider taking a break is in the heat of our summers, but there are things that thrive in it, so I plod on. My Okra did fantastic, so much so that earlier tonight I gave to a friend about a gallon of it that I smothered down a few months ago and placed in qt. freezer bags. I also had huge success with my Japanese Yard Long Beans that thrived in July and August before fading in Sept. Just in time for the fall stuff to go in.

If I had to take a break for 4-5 months to garden again, I'd not like it much, but I'm sure I'd find a way to extend the seasons somehow. Like I've said before, I do feel for my northern brethren that like to garden.

When gardening for you is over until spring, is it a relief or do you miss it?

My gardening season goes from April through October. It is always kind of sad to see the first frost. Then there is a big rush to do something with whatever happens to be left in the garden and get the fall work done. Yes, its good to have a breather.

CS, that's a great set up! What do you mean by "hydro" system?

I wouldn't say that I miss gardening, but that I'm excited about next year's garden. Once mine ends, I usually start planing out what I would like to grow next year and like to look for new, interesting varieties.

Once the starts get going indoors, the anticipation of how they will do once they are in the ground begins.

I enjoyed reading your replies. So it sounds like one way or another, gardening doesn't end with winter !

jal_ut wrote:

When gardening for you is over until spring, is it a relief or do you miss it?

My gardening season goes from April through October. It is always kind of sad to see the first frost. Then there is a big rush to do something with whatever happens to be left in the garden and get the fall work done. Yes, its good to have a breather.

Same here Jal. I'm usually done by October too. Here it was such a warm fall, and I was lucky enough to escape blight, so that I was still pulling peppers and tomatoes off plants into late October. I tried to escape the one early frost we had with blankets propped up by old climbers I still had around, which actually worked. I was half happy and half bummed. And you're sure right about feeling that final need to hustle.

But now that all of the gardening, and all of the canning and freezing are finally done; it feels good to look at my empty garden and my full pantry. Yes, a breather is very nice.

Even though I am continuing the season through winter with hydroponics, I am still anxious for the Spring planting and the rush in February to get all the starts prepared and set.

I also enjoy the (somewhat) break from the big outdoors garden. Great time to "dog ear" seed catalogs and get the list ready!!

We have had our first light freeze. Harder one coming tonight. I have some green tomatoes picked and will eat them as they ripen. Most of my beds have been cleaned, but I still have three beds which need more organics added. Turnips, onions, and lettuce still growing well. I will pull the turnips and onions soon and use them. I will prepare both beds for spring crops.

I've acquired all of the heirloom tomato seed I want to grow in 2011 and will start germinating them in mid January. My onions will also be planted in January.

Most my my spring garden is planned and ready to start. I'm looking forward to my 2001 garden. I'm an optimist and always think I can do something better next year.

Ted